I like doing things in the neighborhood, coming from just across the line to the south.

Today, we're here to listen.

I am greatly worried about the future of hunger in America with respect to your recent proposal to cut funding for SNAP.

This hearing of the Committee on Agriculture entitled, The Future of U.S. Farm Policy: Formulation of the 2012 Farm Bill, will come to order.

It is vitally important that the commodity title give producers options so they can choose the program that best works for them.

Mr. President, I submit the following notice in writing: In accordance with Rule V of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby give notice in writing that it is my intention to offer an amendment to the Standing Rules of the Senate, by…

So, your 15,000 is a floor rather than a ceiling on that one?

Okay, because that is the second part of my question, how do you not just reduce civilian employees but increase contractors to compensate for that so you are really just moving it over to another area?

This hearing of the Committee on Agriculture to review the Commodity Futures Trading Commission 2012 agenda will come to order.

First and foremost on the CFTC's agenda for the coming year must be its investigation into the collapse of MF Global and its missing customer funds.

Making policy without regard to the economic consequences is a luxury we cannot afford even in the strongest of economies.

Our constituents need more than empty reassurances.

Farmers and ranchers across the country continue to face hardships because of their missing funds, and have lost confidence in the futures system.

I think this committee does a great job, whether it is led by a Democrat or Republican.

I think tax reform is something that we need to do.

If we want to solve it, we can solve these problems; we don't have to have a fight with the President.

Eighty-five percent of them know we are not doing our job, and the fact is we make a political calculation rather than a character calculation about the future of our country.

We are short-term thinkers, not long-term, and we have created tons of problems because of that.